Inside theories behind ageing men dying in 'the line of duty'

Skepticism was the initial reaction that greeted the death of Dr Job Obwaka, the renowned gynaecologist, who until his sudden demise, was embroiled in leadership wrangles at The Nairobi Hospital where he was a director of the board.

Having been arrested on March 14, 2026, thrown into police cells and arraigned in court where he was charged alongside three other directors for alleged conflict of interest and failure to file financial statements with the registrar of companies, reports of his death was instantly linked to his prosecution.

With news filtering in on the evening of May 1, 2026 that the gynaecologist, 83, collapsed while in Kitengela and died at Nairobi Hospital where he had been rushed, many Kenyans read mischief and foul play, convinced that an external hand was involved.

But within hours, the narrative shifted and suspicion cooled when a woman came into the picture. A romance narrative unfolded after 45-year-old Beatrice Wangari stepped out, and publicly declared that they had been in an intimate relationship with Dr Obwaka for the past 10 years.

Wangari was arrested and thrown behind bars as investigators rushed to her Kitengela home where the old man had spent the better part of the afternoon before collapsing. The woman told police that they had had a meal and spent moments intimately before Dr Obwaka collapsed, prompting her to seek help from neighbours.

This is not a unique case. It mirrors a familiar pattern of men dying while indulging in intimacy, but such episodes would rather be spoken in hushed tones than openly due to the embarrassment caused to family, friends, and the larger society.

In July 2023,  Ruai Catholic priest Joseph Kariuki Wanjiku collapsed and died while in the company of his girlfriend, Ruth Nduhi, who was a church staff. The lovers were said to have been intimate at a guest house in Gatanga where they spent the night.

Machakos senator Mutinda Kabaka collapsed in December 2020 at a Kilimani apartment in the company of Esther Nthenya Muli, who was said to be the politician’s secret lover.

In February 2014, pastor Geoffrey Maingi of Redeemed Gospel Church was found dead in a woman’s bedroom in Buruburu estate. It was said Maingi, 70, had gone to the 40-year-old’s house for a prayer session. The woman was a worshipper in his church.

Just like Father Kariuki, Senator Kabaka and Pastor Maingi, Dr Obwaka’s death was as a result of a cardiac arrest. Pathologists Johansen Oduor, Pater Ndegwa and Josep Ndung’u arrived at the conclusion that the gynaecologist died after his heart suddenly stopped.

“We have all concurred on the cause of his death. He had a cardiac arrest as a result of a heart problem that he had been having,” said Dr Ndegwa.

Cases of prominent Kenyans and senior citizens collapsing while in the company of female companions are common. These deaths usually elicit debate with many conspiracy theories surfacing as happened when former Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo, Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo and Homa Bay Senator Otieno Kajwan’g died.

Suffice is to say, when men die suddenly in private spaces, especially in the company of women who are not publicly recognised as spouses, curiosity often falls. The case of Father Kariuki is still fresh.

The priest died after spending a night with Ruth at Monalisa Hotel in Gatanga, Murang’a County. He collapsed the following morning and was pronounced dead on arrival at Kenol Hospital. Police reports indicated foam around his mouth while Ruth told investigators they had been in a six-year relationship.

A post-mortem later pointed to a suspected heart attack.

In Nairobi’s Kilimani area, the death of Senator Kabaka followed a similar script. The politician collapsed while in the company Nthenya, a secondary school teacher. She was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after Kabaka was rushed to hospital complaining of headaches and undergoing emergency treatment.

However, subsequent tests on his blood confirmed he had not been poisoned.

The body of pastor Maingi of Redeemed Gospel Church’s New Life Temple was found in the Ruth’s bedroom after he had died.

Maingi, 70, had driven into the compound of the worshiper for what the woman termed as a prayer session when he passed on.

The woman, then aged 40, told police that Maingi had visited her house for a prayer session when he suddenly collapsed and died.

“He has been coming for prayers in my house and, apart from him being my pastor, he is my friend and that is why he comes for prayer sessions,” Ruth, who had separated with her husband the previous year over domestic differences, told police.

Following the death of Senator Mutula Kilonzo in April 2013, speculation emerged about a “mysterious visitor” allegedly present at his Maanzoni ranch in his final hours. An inquest later found no signs of struggle and ruled out homicide.

Across these cases: politicians, clergy, professionals, and public servants, the pattern is strikingly similar: the last person seen with the deceased, often a woman, quickly becomes the focus of suspicion.

Entrepreneur and social commentator Catherine Masitsa says what the public sees in these headline cases is only a fraction of a much larger, quieter phenomenon.

“These scenarios are really common. They get swept under the carpet. The reality is that the list is very long,” she says. “But because of the circumstances in which they happen, families, institutions and even the media tend to avoid discussing them openly.”

According to her, many of these deaths are not criminal at all, but medical events that are misunderstood due to stigma and timing.

From a clinical perspective, she explains, the issue is often linked to ageing and cardiovascular stress.

“Men need to understand that age does a number on vital organs, especially the heart,” Dr Masitsa says. “As you grow older, your cardiovascular system becomes less efficient. The heart, blood vessels and lungs do not respond to stress the same way they did in your 20s or 30s.”

She draws a direct comparison between physical exertion and sudden cardiac strain.

“If you are going to run like a sprinter in a minute, your heart can easily succumb,” she notes. “Intimate activity, particularly when it is vigorous or combined with excitement and adrenaline, places a sudden demand on the heart.”

For individuals with underlying conditions, the risk is even higher.

“For someone with hypertension, diabetes or undiagnosed heart disease, that spike can trigger a cardiac event,” cautions Dr Masitsa.

According to her, many men are unaware of their actual health status.

“A lot of men are not consistent with medical check-ups,” she says. “You will find someone has high blood pressure or early heart disease but is not on proper treatment, or they stop medication once they feel better. Then they expose themselves to intense physical exertion. It becomes a dangerous combination.”

Dr Masitsa also raises concern about the misuse of erectile dysfunction medication.

“That blue pill people talk about is not meant for casual or recreational use. It is prescribed under specific medical conditions and after proper evaluation,” she cautions. “When used incorrectly, especially in combination with other drugs or in individuals with heart conditions, it can increase cardiovascular strain.”

She explains that the danger is not only the medication itself, but how it interacts with physical stress.

“It is not just about the pill itself, but the context in which it is used. If someone already has a compromised heart, adding stimulants or performance-enhancing drugs into the mix can push the body beyond its limits.”

For her, the biggest problem is silence.

“These incidents are treated as embarrassing or immoral, so we miss an opportunity to educate people,” she says. “Instead of focusing on health risks, the conversation shifts to blame, shame and speculation.”

Nairobi-based psycho-sociologist Paul Njogu says the recurring pattern of suspicion reveals deeper social biases that shape public interpretation of such deaths.

“What we are seeing is not just a series of suspicious deaths, but a reflection of how society quickly constructs moral narratives, often at the expense of evidence,” he explains. “Before investigations are complete, the public, and sometimes even institutions, have already settled on a storyline.”

A key feature of this storyline, he says, is the immediate suspicion directed at women present during the death.

“There is a deeply ingrained tendency to criminalise the woman in these situations. She is immediately framed as deviant, manipulative, or even dangerous,” Dr Njogu says. “Meanwhile, the man’s agency, his decision to be in that space, in that relationship, is rarely interrogated with the same intensity.”

He links this to cultural discomfort around older men’s intimate lives outside marriage.

“We are dealing with a society that is uncomfortable with the idea of older men having active intimate lives outside socially sanctioned structures like marriage. So when death occurs in such contexts, it is quickly moralised.”

Secrecy, he adds, fuels speculation.

“Older men often pursue companionship discreetly due to fear of judgment from family, community, or even professional circles. That secrecy creates a vacuum of information, and in that vacuum, speculation thrives.”

He also notes that medical explanations are often overshadowed by scandal.

“From a medical standpoint, sudden deaths during intimate encounters are not unheard of. Cardiac events triggered by physical exertion, especially among older individuals, are well documented,” Njogu says. “But because the context is socially ‘taboo’, people are less willing to accept natural causes.”

Njogu further highlights structural inequalities that often go unexamined.

“In some cases, these relationships are shaped by inequality: differences in age, financial stability, and social power. But instead of examining these complexities, public discourse reduces everything into simplistic moral judgments of right and wrong,” he explains.

From a legal standpoint, lawyer Essendi Kenneth says public reaction often diverges sharply from how the justice system actually works.

“When a senior man dies in the company of a younger woman, public reaction often moves faster than facts,” he says. “Rumour fills the gap left by secrecy, and judgment quickly overshadows a more ordinary legal reality.”

He emphasises that Kenyan law does not criminalise relationships between consenting adults, regardless of age.

“The legal starting point is simple; there is no offence in two consenting adults being together. The law only comes in when there is a question about the cause of death, possible criminal conduct, or related disputes,” observes Essendi.

In such cases, police follow a structured process.

“When such a death occurs, especially in places like hotels or private residences, police treat it as a suspicious death,” Kenneth explains. “They secure the scene, record statements, and the person who was present is naturally questioned.”

A post-mortem then determines cause of death.

“That cause is often medical rather than criminal,” he notes. “In many instances, findings point to natural causes: cardiac arrest triggered by exertion, underlying conditions like hypertension, or reactions to substances such as unprescribed medication.”

Only when evidence indicates foul play does criminal liability arise.

“For a charge like murder, the law requires malice aforethought,” he the lawyer. “If someone administered a substance without consent or acted recklessly leading to death, they can be prosecuted. But if the death is purely natural, there is no criminal case.”

Yet Essendi acknowledges a gap between law and public perception.

“The legal process is evidence-based and procedural, but the social response is often harsh and immediate,” he says. “Media coverage and online commentary can frame these deaths as scandalous even before forensic findings are released.”

Back in Kitengela, the investigation into Dr Obwaka’s death continues. Authorities await toxicology results. But rumours persist.

A man dies, a woman is present and before the facts are known, suspicion arrives first.